Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau

Princess Carolina
Princess of Nassau-Weilburg
Spouse Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
Issue Prince George Wilhelm
Prince Wilhelm Ludwig
Princess Maria
Luise, Princess Heinrich XIII Reuss of Greiz
Frederick William, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
Karoline, Princess of Wied
Prince Karl Ludwig
Amalie, Princess of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym
Henriette, Duchess Louis of Württemberg
Prince Karl
Father William IV, Prince of Orange
Mother Anne, Princess Royal
Born 28 February 1743
Died 6 May 1787 (aged 44)
Religion Dutch Reformed Church

Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Nassau-Weilburg (Wilhelmine Carolina; 28 February 1743, Leeuwarden – 6 May 1787, Kirchheimbolanden)[1] was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands, and Anne, Princess Royal.

Regent

Princess Carolina was born in Leeuwarden.[1] In 1747, it was declared that the position of Stadtholder could be inherited by females, thus making the young Princess Carolina the heiress presumptive to the position of Stadtholder. However, in 1748, a male heir, Willem, was born to her parents, thus displacing her and putting her second in line to the position.

Princess Carolina's father died in 1751, making her three-year-old brother Willem V of Orange. At that point, her mother was appointed Princess-Regent. However, in 1759, her mother died, and Willem V was still just ten years old. Then, Princess Carolina's paternal grandmother, Princess Marie-Luise, was made Princess-Regent. Princess Marie-Luise was regent until 1765, when she died. Willem V was now seventeen, but that was still not old enough to rule on his own. So, Princess Carolina was made regent. She ruled until 1766, when Willem V turned eighteen.

Marriage and children

On 5 March 1760 in The Hague, during the regency of her grandmother Princess Marie Luise, Princess Carolina married Karl Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg.[1] They had fifteen children, seven of whom survived to adulthood:

Ancestors

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh (ed.) (1977). Burke's Royal Families of the World, 1st edition. London: Burke's Peerage. p. 240. ISBN 0-85011-023-8.

External links

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